Welcome to Cosmic Vibes!

THIS MONTH:

Lovers Come Back in Vedic Astrology

Lover Come Back: Venus Goes Retrograde!

On March 4 Venus enters its retrograde period until April 15. Unlike Mercury which goes retrograde almost every 4 months, Venus is only in retrograde every 18 months.

But like a Mercury retrograde, Venus is going to have some explaining to do this month!

Venus represents many things in our lives, but primarily it is the planet of relationships, particularly sensual relationships. It is also the planet of sensory pleasures and indulgences, from jewelry and clothes to sweets and sugar. Venus is also about the arts, sacred scriptures, and Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion). And it is often associated with the heart center.

Venus rules the signs of Libra and Taurus, making its natives peace-loving seekers of harmony, beauty and comfort. Its name in Sanskrit, Shukra, is also a name for the reproductive fluids, and so of course, Venus is sexy.

So what does it mean when Venus appears to go backward in the sky for these six weeks? What do we need to be aware of? What are the opportunities and how do we avoid the pitfalls?

First, everyone should relax because Venus likes to relax. And for this retrograde, Venus is in its exalted sign of Pisces, the best place Venus can be. Some astrologers believe that an exalted planet in retrograde suddenly turns bad. But to them I say: Pshaw! Or as they say in Hindi: Dhikkarana!

Of course the Mayans and Aztecs always went to war when the planet of peace Venus was in retrograde, but aren’t we better than that? I guess we’ll find out.

Regardless, Venus exalted is always a good thing and Venus in retrograde can be a good thing.

Venus in retrograde is great for revisiting and repairing past relationships. It can be a good time to re-start a relationship from the past (think about the cute geeky sophomore in college), but in general it is recommended that you exercise strong caution starting a new relationship in retrograde.

And especially be cautious with Pisces in Venus in retrograde because you will be wearing rose-colored glasses as thick as coca-cola bottles during this time, seeing only what you hope to see or indulging in another embarrassing fantasy that will be cruelly shattered when Venus goes direct in April. Okay I did warn you.

A great time to repair jewelry, get bargains in used jewelry, but you will likely severely overspend on new jewelry during this time.

A good time to re-new bhakti practices, such as kirtan, making friends with Krishna, or saying those Hail Mary’s.

A superb time to finally ditch the sugary treats in your life and a horrible time to experiment with your new deep fried doughnut recipes.

In general, watch the tendency to overspend on luxuries, fantasize about past lovers, and take on new projects that involve decorating.

Spiritually, Venus retrograde in Pisces allows us to understand that the basis of all successful relationships is a willingness to bring spirituality to our sensuality and that love is best used as a noun and not as a verb.